


Proximity

by heartsync



Series: I want to be close to you. [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Eris(OC) is bisexual, F/F, F/M, Kairi is gay, Multi, Pining, Riku is also gay, Riku pines for Sora, Slow Burn, The brothers are either bi or pan, Violence, khux spoilers, no one is safe from my gay hands, no one is straight, nonbinary OC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-11-11 10:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11146722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsync/pseuds/heartsync
Summary: After turning 19 that year, Eris moved in with some of her best friends. In this new house, she has to deal with four brothers and their friend Riku.Ever since they were little, the six of them had always been close. However when random flashbacks and nightmares start occurring, their past may not have been as true as they thought.





	1. Sunrise Ocean

The sun was rising against the ocean as Eris kicked off her flip flops and stuck her feet in the chilly water. The warm sand felt good to the touch as she laid back and stretched out, eyes closed in content. She knew the sand would probably be tough to get out of her hair once it was in, but whatever—she'd deal with it when it actually came down to it. 

She slowly opened one eye as she heard light footsteps coming closer. "Good morning, Eris," Riku greeted as he peered down. His silver hair looked almost orange in the sunrise's light. 

"Good morning, Riku," She replied back quietly. 

Riku sat down next to Eris as she silently laid in the sand, staring at the sky. She could feel his gaze on her, though she wouldn't mention it. "Eris," Riku began quietly. "How do you like living here? It's only been a week or so, but living with five other people is pretty different for you. It's been so hectic around here, I haven't been able to actually sit and talk to you about it." 

Eris turned to look at the boy next to her, a subtle smile on her face. "It's way different," she agreed. "But it's also super fun. Having so many people in one household makes everyday exciting, you know?"

Riku smiled softly at her response. "They're all certainly something, that's for sure. I'm glad you're getting used to things around here, though. I know it took me forever when I moved in." 

Eris laughed at his last remark, remembering the story he told her once about how moving in was hectic until he started cooking for everyone. The boys were a sucker for Riku's cooking, that was for sure.

Riku realized as they spoke, that the sun had already came up. "We should probably go back in," he suggested. He rose to his feet, wiping the sand off his worn jeans. "I have to make breakfast before everyone causes havoc, and you should probably shower. There's so much sand on you, and if that ends up everywhere then you're not getting any muffins."

"What?!" She exclaimed, hopping to her feet immediately. "I'm going, then!" She raced through the sand and back to the house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my first chapter! I hope it's okay so far. Right now, there's already more done and is posted on Wattpad, so I'm transferring it over here!


	2. Morning Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading back home, Eris talks to Chirithy about her condition over breakfast, and one brother wakes unusually early.

Eris quietly pushed the door closed behind her, expecting the others to still be asleep. "Were you at the beach again?" A high-pitched voice asked suddenly. Eris jumped at the sound, hitting her elbow against the doorknob. 

Glaring over her shoulder, the girl replied: "Don't scare me like that, Chirithy! I'm still half asleep." The small plushlike Dream Eater giggled at her wielder's reaction. 

"Sorry," the plush said. "You usually don't wake up so early though. I guess you surprised me as well." 

Eris fully turned around, walking past Chirithy. Her face seemed to darken slightly, not wanting to meet the other's beady eyes. "Are you having those nightmares again?" Chirithy asked, his voice no longer as lighthearted as before. Eris stopped for a moment; Chirithy always seemed to know what was going on with her, didn't he? 

Eris tried to reassure the plush that she was truly fine, though she gave up quickly. There was no use trying to hide the nightmares from the Dream Eater. "Chirithy, really. Don't worry about it," Eris tried to push the topic aside. She didn't need his lectures so early in the morning. 

"I know you don't want to talk about it right now, but we will have to eventually, Eris." The plush tried to make a stern face, which didn't seem to work as his face was too cute to ever be seen as anything but cute. 

The attempt did work to make Eris smile however, "I know. Maybe just not at six in the morning?" She asked as she continued to fix herself a glass of orange juice.

Hearing muffled noise from upstairs, Eris realized that one of the boys must have woke up. Watching the stairs diligently, she waited for them to come on down. However, a door closed and shortly after came the sound of a toilet flushing. Eris rolled her eyes, half expecting who ever it was to head back to bed anyways. 

She turned her attention back to watching the plush standing on the countertop, before the stairs began creaking quietly. "Good morning, Eris," a groggy voice greeted from the stairs. Looking back over, Ventus sat on the third to last step as he wiped his eyes sleepily.

"Morning, Ven," she replied before sipping from her drink. "What are you up so early for?"  The blonde mumbled slightly as he ran a hand through his bedhead. 

"You two were being loud. Other people are trying to sleep, you know?" He answered, irritation peaking through at the last part. 

"It was important, though," Chirithy cut in, putting both stubs on his hips. 

"I'm sure it was, but you can still not wake the rest of us up with it," Ventus countered. 

After finishing the rest of her drink and placing the glass in the sink, Eris pet the small plush and smiled. "Thank you for caring, Chirithy. I really do appreciate it." Chirithy paused momentarily, not quite used to the affectionate action. Moving her hand away before the Chirithy flipped back and disappeared, Eris then walked over to the stairs.

"Ven, I gotta go take a shower. Move over." The blonde only stuck his tongue out in reply. Eris grinned playfully and leaned her head over the boy. The sand resting in her bangs and scalp fell onto his face. Ventus yelped loudly as he hurriedly stuck his tongue back in his mouth as the sand fell on him. 

"Ew!" He exclaimed, standing up to wipe the sand off him and onto the floor. He stuck his tongue out once more after he wiped his own hands free of the salty sand. He attempted to wipe his own tongue of any possible sand that may have fell on it. He groaned muffledly as he noticed the brunette gleam at him. 

The girl giggled and pecked the vulnerable boy on his forehead as he grumbled at her. Taken off guard, his cheeks flushed but he only seemed to glare further. Eris put a finger to her grinning lips before she rushed up the stairs, "Shush, Ven. Don't wanna wake the others!"


	3. Early Showers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eris just wants to clean up. Roxas has a small bladder, and Vanitas is just an asshole.

"Hurry up in there, I need to go!" Roxas rushed as he knocked on the door to the bathroom upstairs. 

"Roxas, there's a bathroom downstairs! Go use that one!" Eris yelled, trying to speak over the rushing water. 

"Eris?" Roxas squeaked out, immediately backing off. "S-Sorry!"

Ventus deadpanned at the younger blonde as he came down the steps. Roxas gave a tired grin; the corners of his mouth strained upwards. The two stared at each other with knowing glances before looking away. Roxas rushed to the bathroom on that floor, and Ventus continued to fix himself mini pancakes to hold him over with until Riku came home.  

Ventus hummed along with the noises of the microwave as it heated up the small package. He got so into it that when the microwave went off at the same time as the toilet flushed muffledly, he jumped and almost shrieked. He let out an exasperated breath as he tried to steady his heartbeat. Roxas opened the door to see his older brother clutching his chest as he stared at the microwave.

The two once again exchanged eye contact. Roxas stared at his brother questioningly, an eyebrow raised. Ventus' eyes were still wide, but he looked a bit embarrassed that his little brother saw him like that. Ventus averted his wide eyes and began whistling innocently as he opened the microwave and pulled out the bag.

"I—" Roxas mumbled. "I'm not even going to say anything about this." 

Ventus looked over and smiled sheepishly, "Please don't tell Vani."

In the upstairs bathroom, Eris sat in the tub as the water from the showerhead fell over her. She'd already finished cleaning up and was just resting. Having failed to fight the urge to fall asleep, she lightly snored out as she laid motionlessly. After a couple minutes, she was jolted awake by erratic jiggling of the doorknob from outside the room. 

Eris groaned tiredly as she sat herself up. "Go away!" She yelled, dragging out her words. 

"You've been in there for, like, an hour!" Vanitas' voice cut through, sounding agitated 

"Even if I get out now, I still have to dry off!" Eris countered, turning off the water finally.

"No way! My house, my rules—get your damn towels and get out!" The rude teen began to shake the knob even more now, pressing the girl to hurry. 

"Fine, fine! Give me a second!" She replied, quickly covering herself with one of the towels and flinging another over her shoulder for her hair.

"I'm coming out!" She announced, grabbing the knob on her side. The boy on the other side immediately stopped, and Eris could hear him take a step or two away from the door. Eris pulled the door open and stepped out, all the steam escaping into the hallway. 

An ear piercingly loud alarm began to go off suddenly. "Shit!" Vanitas yelled, attempting to wave the steam away. Eris kept one hand on her towel as she got on her tiptoes and turned off the fire alarm. 

"Sorry, guys!" She yelled down the stairs. "It's alright!" Ventus replied, peeking up the stairway. 

"Open the window next time, Eris," Vanitas grumbled at the girl as he walked past her. 

"You don't have to be such a punk about it," the said girl pouted. She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him. 

"God, you're such a child," he groaned under his breath. He rolled his eyes at her and gave her a small smirk before shutting the door.


	4. Bonding Over Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora wants to be a hairstylist. Who better to practice on than his is own housemates?

"Eris, your hair is always so pretty," Sora said, slurred as he yawned. Eris smiled, clutching her robe closer to her. "Thanks, Sora. What did you say you wanted to try out, by the way?" 

Sora hummed quietly as he grinned. His little lopsided grin held all his cheery demeanor in one possible expression. "It's this thing I saw online. It was so cute; I instantly knew you'd look amazing with it," he replied quickly. His voice exploded with enthusiasm, despite not having been up for very long. 

Eris smiled as she felt the back of one of Sora's hand on the nape of her neck as he held her rose gold hair in place. Gently, he brushed through the tangles and moved any stray strands back into place. "You're so gentle, Sora. Why are you so good at this?" Eris asked, relaxing into his hands. 

"Well, when I was growing up, I would always cut Riku's hair for him since he complained about it all the time. His hair grew really fast somehow, so I'd always have to trim his bangs back or just the length entirely." Sora continued with his craft as he talked on and on. "It really wasn't until Kairi moved here that I started doing more advanced stuff. Kairi has always been better when it came to doing hair, but she's the master of makeup. I don't think I could pass her up in that no matter how much I practice." 

Eris couldn't see the boy due to how she was sitting, but she could feel the warmth of his smile radiating from behind her. "She really took me under her wing. Not after long, I was doing both of their hair!" He laughed genuinely. "And tuck! There you go, it's done!" 

The brunet passed the girl a handheld mirror. As Eris admired her cute hair bow bun, she grinned. Sora was giving jazz hands as he gestured to the girl's hair from behind her, as she noticed in the mirror. Peeking behind her, both locked eyes and dropped their smiles suddenly. 

The two burst into laughter; Sora placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as to steady her. "Okay!" He exclaimed as her jumped off the bed and grabbed her square by the shoulders. He helped her up then immediately pushed her to the door. "You gotta go get ready. He'll be here soon!"

"What?" Eris questioned, raising a brow as she turned back towards the shorter boy. "Wait, did he already text me?" She reached into both pockets, searching for her phone in a panic. Her phone suddenly hitting her chest, landing to her arms from impulsive movement. "Hurry!" Sora warned once more, giving her a light, playful shove out his room before he himself trodded out and climbed on top of the stair railing and slid down as he yelled. 

"Sora! God, are you dumb? You almost fell!" Roxas' muffled lecturing echoed from the  kitchen downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Sora cute? Absolutely. Let him embrace his dream. You go, you spunky boy, I believe in you.


	5. Girl Next Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kairi is very, very gay. A hopeless, pining romantic. She just wishes she was Eris' hopeless pining romantic.

Eris poked and prodded at her dress, nervously checking over her outfit. Looking into the mirror, she tried to judge how she looked in the news clothes she decided to wear for what she had planned today. She wasn't sure such an outfit fit her.

She did a clumsy twirl in the flowy flower-print spaghetti strap summer dress she wore, almost tripping in the new wedge sandals she was wearing. "Careful!" Kairi's stern voice warned her, steadying the shorter girl. "Don't ruin your hair! I still have to do your makeup!" 

Kairi bit her lip as she watched the other girl sit on her bed, waiting for Kairi as the redhead set out her supplies. "Okay, close your eyes, babe," she told her, as she covered the brush in a light pink shade of eyeshadow. Eris did as she was told and closed her eyes. Kairi stared at the girl's vulnerable expression; she blushed slightly. Trying to ignore the thoughts filling her head, she gently dusted both of the girl's eyelids pink. 

"I'm not done just yet." Kairi switched the eyeshadow for the black liquid eyeliner and traced both of her eyes. Then came the mascara, gently curving into Eris' long beautiful eyelashes. "Alright, you can open your eyes now."

Eris obeyed, eyes fluttering open into Kairi's close face. Kairi's cheeks began to match the color of her hair as she adverted her own eyes, awkward with the proximity between them both. Eris stilled as Kairi grabbed the blush brush, dusting it a natural pink. She brushed it over the other girl's chubby cheeks. 

Finishing up with that, she pulled out a rose pink lipstick and pulled off the top. "Pucker up, Eris," Kairi told her softly, looking into the said girl's dark purple eyes. Applying it was such an awkward part for Kairi; usually it wasn't such a big deal, but on her crush of all people? It made her hands tremble a bit. It required a lot of focus when applying makeup, always having to understand and analyze one's face when doing so. 

"Done! You look so cute!" She wasn't joking—Eris looked amazing. Kairi only wished it was her she was hanging out with looking like that. "I'm sure he's going to be so surprised." Eris grinned, her beautiful face almost amplifying the effect she had on the redhead. 

"Thanks, Kai. I really appreciate it. You really didn't have to miss your class for this, though, you know?" Eris replied, smiling sheepishly. "Anything that's important to you is important to me," Kairi countered. "And it's not very often I get to do you up like this! We should do this more often."

Eris giggled and stood, walking up to the mirror and checking how she looked. "Honestly, don't worry about it. He'll love it—now, hurry up and go! I'm sure he'll be here any minute now!" Kairi exclaimed, ushering her out. 


	6. Summer Whisper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eris is meeting up with Ephemera after her busy move into her new residence. The boys are nosy.

Eris quickly rushed down the stairs where the others were relaxing, careful not to to trip over her shoes. "Whoa!" She yelled out, failing to steady herself. Steadying her with only one hand on her shoulder, Vanitas smirked. 

"Careful, princess," He mused. "Don't wanna ruin your makeup for your date." Eris' cheeks reddened as she pouted. 

"I-It's not a date! We're just friends," She clarified. Vanitas hummed mockingly, crossing his arms. 

"Doesn't matter. You look nice, by the way." Eris blinked twice in surprise. 

"What?" She questioned, eyeing him suspiciously. "How much money did you guys pay him to say that to me?" 

Vanitas rolled his eyes and sat on the arm of one of the couches, next to Kairi. The redhead playfully punched him in the arm when he grinned at her. A moment of silence came when a tone filled the room suddenly. Eris immediately rushed to the door, only to be beat by Ventus. "Ah, Ephmera!" He greeted cheerily after flinging the door open.

"Ven, please..." Eris muttered, trying to get his attention. 

"Alright, Ephmera, just remember not to do anything unwarranted or—" Eris quickly cut the blonde off and slid past him. She grabbed the silver haired boy's hand and quickly dragged him away from the house. "Be careful, and have fun, you two!" Ven could be heard yelling from at the door still.

"Well, you really did yourself up today, Eris," Ephemera commented, gently tightening his grip on the girl's hand. 

"Oh! Thanks." The silver haired boy watched her silently, unaware of his growing smile. "So, what are we doing today?"

Ephemera rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was kinda hoping you'd wanna go to the aquarium with me?" He told the girl, light pink dusting his cheeks. 

Eris grinned, "Only if we can check out the new planetarium they just opened downtown afterwards!"

Still standing only a bit away from the house still, Eris quirked her brow and looked around. She gasped when she noticed it only a bit farther away, off the beachside. "Is that the new bike you told me you bought a while ago?" She asked, pointing at the shiny silver motorcycle that was parked in the distance. 

"Oh, yeah—it is!" He confirmed, giving her a wink. "Isn't it just the most beautiful vechicle ever?" 

Eris let out a low whistle, "It is gorgeous, Ephemera. All that hard work really paid off, huh?" The silver haired boy nodded. 

"Definitely. I really didn't expect that project to blow up as much as it did. Skuld and I really hit the jackpot."

"So when am I getting my free copy? Don't I get a best friend discount?" Eris asked jokingly as she elbowed him in the arm. 

"Ha, you wish! Just get one of those brothers to buy one for you; you know any one of them would do it," Ephemera laughed, defending himself against her elbow. 

"Speaking of them, we should probably head out pretty soon. They keep watching from the windows," he added, pointing back at the house. On both sides of the house, the brothers stood behind the windows, watching the both of them diligently as they stood only a few feet away. Eris laughed at the sight of them and just continued walking ahead.

Ephemera walked up from behind her as Eris arrived at the bike. He leaned over and grabbed his spare helmet he'd brought for her. Usually, Skuld would use it when he drove them both to lunch during their break time at work. Securing his own helmet, he made sure Eris was good. 

"You all secured?" He asked, looking back at the girl as he straddled the motorcycle. 

"Sure am," she replied as she hiked up her dress and tucked it under her safely and straddled the bike as well. "You might wanna hold on, okay?" He suggested, revving up the bike. Eris nodded and snaked her hands around his waist and leaned into his back before the boy began to drive off.

From the house, the boys sulked back to their original spots on the couch. "This is so unfair," Roxas whined, sinking into the cushions. "She said it wasn't a date, but did you see that?" 

Ventus sighed over his brother's complaining. "I know! They were holding hands, and did you see how he was looking at her! And the motorcycle—he could of borrowed Skuld's car! He just wanted to show off and have her close!" 

Riku glared over his shoulder. "Shut up, you all sound like children. If it's a date, it's a date—not his fault none of you can work of the nerve to ask her yourselves."

Kairi glared half heartedly at Riku for the last part he mentioned. There were too many things for her factor in order for her to ask her out, or even begin to show her affection like that. She could reject her for being into girls like that, and that was the last thing she'd want. So she won't say anything anyway.

Riku looked over and locked eyes with Kairi. His sea foam green eyes told her that he knew what she was going through. She smiled tiredly in reply.


	7. Smoking at Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kairi is a somber, jealous mess. Her sister, Namine, joins her sister at her side.

Kairi stood on her balcony, staring out into the starry sky. It had been a couple hours since Eris came back from her date with Ephemera. Of course, the redhead left when Ventus offered Ephemera to stay the night; she was happy they'd had a fun day out, but if she had to listen to Eris talk about it in that certain tone anymore, she would've snapped. 

There was a meteor shower that night. She knew the others had probably gone down to the beach to watch it, but she just wanted to be alone right now. She lit her cigarette and let it hang from her lips. It was a destresser. She was just tired. 

"Kai?" A soft voice asked, coming from behind her. Namine stood watching, wearing her usual short white nightgown. Her blond hair sifted softly in the gentle wind. She wringed her hands. 

"Namine," Kairi replied without looking back. "It's late. What are you still doing up?" She puffed out a smoke ring before placing the cigarette back. 

"I was finishing up a drawing when I heard you come in. Did something happen today?" The blonde explained, pushing a couple strands behind her ear. 

Kairi hummed, "Nothing I'm not used to." 

Namine sighed, "I guess you don't want to talk about it." Kairi laughed wryly in response, "Got that right."

Namine moved to Kairi's side, placing one of her own hands on top of her sister's hands that rested on the railing. "It's a beautiful night though, isn't it?" She asked her sister, looking out at the meteor shower. "It's been a while since we've seen one of these, hasn't it?" 

Kairi smiled at the memory it brought up. "Yeah, haven't seen one since we were kids." Namine gazed at her older sister's face. It had been awhile since she'd seen her with such an expression. 

"I don't know what happened today," the blonde spoke up. "But I hope you know I'm always here for you. Me, and Xion, too. We both are."

Kairi pulled the cigarette out and put it out with her fingers. She turned her head slightly to look at her little sister, a genuine smile growing on her face. "Thanks, Namine. Same goes to you, you know."


	8. Daydreams of Depth

Submerged into the depths of the ocean, Eris found herself struggling to move. She felt almost numb, as if she wasn't falling deeper and deeper into this endless pit. Her mouth opened, gasping for air, letting out air bubbles. She found that even if she couldn't resist against the water, she could still breathe normally despite being deep in the water. 

Birds—White birds flew past her like it was normal. She didn't see them fly up and out of the water, but flew far enough to where they just seemed to disappear out of her view. A bright light began to shine from under her. She was finally able to move her whole body to face it, though she wasn't able to move where the water didn't want her to. 

Drifting down slowly, Eris began to make out a ginormous circular structure that's surface resembled stained glass. It was multicolored in shades of pink, blue, purple, brown, and red. As she finally landed onto its surface, she was able to notice that there were five circles inside, with masks resembling certain animals. 

Before she could process any of it, the stained glass began to darken until the entirity of its surface was enveloped. There was no light left; there was only total darkness. Eris reached out and tried to scream, however it proved useless. The darkness began to seep into her very skin, gripping at her legs first then trailing up until her whole body felt swallowed up. 

She couldn't move, or breathe. What happened? Was this even real? She felt her consciousness drift away, until nothing was left anymore.

Her eyes opened as her body jolted forth. Her hair clinged to her forehead, much like the sweat that stuck to her. She moved her hands to her face, wiping away the hot tears that had managed to spill. A poof from her side on the windowsill made her notice she wasn't alone.

"Eris?" Chirithy asked, voice sounding fearful. "Those nightmares—they are back. I knew it." Eris choked out a sob, moving her hands to her throat. Chirithy jumped by her side and hopped onto the girl's stomach. Chirithy hummed quietly as he stretched out, his head on her chest. His resounding melody eased the girl out of her panic attack. 

"Chirithy," Eris whispered. Her face twisted in painful agony, a glimmer of confusion in her eyes. "These nightmares keep getting worse. I can't understand them, but they all seem so familiar—like memories of some sort." She brought a hand to her forehead, wiping away her sweat. "I'm so tired, Chirithy. I don't want to feel like this anymore." 

Chirithy brought one of his small plush nubs to Eris' warm cheek. "It's okay, Eris. You're safe; these dreams aren't real." 

Eris closed her eyes. They weren't real, were they? They were only dreams. The darkness didn't exist, and she was safe. Her eyes fluttered open once more. She smiled at the relaxing sensation that settled in. However, she wasn't in her bed anymore and Chirithy was nowhere to be found. Instead, she found herself in front of a figure that seemed to flicker between appearances, all bearing masks that resembled the animals from the stained glass from before.

They swung mercilessly with a keyblade that also seemed to flicker through various appearances, and eventually Eris began to fight back against the masked figure with her own keyblade as it was summoned into her hands. Closing her eyes for only a moment, they were gone. She stood in the midst of the barren wasteland; her body felt weak and sore. Would it ever end, she wondered as she fell slowly onto the wet, muddy ground. Her hand clutched the keyblade in her hand. It'd been so long since she had summoned it or even seen it; everything was so peaceful where she lived with everyone else. 

She truly felt she was going to die, laying on the bare ground, unable to move. She was surrounded by keyblades that stuck out from the mud. Keyblades that no longer belonged to the children who wielded them. Suddenly, a bright light filled the area around her, almost blinding her. 

The figures coming towards her, she could hardly make out until they came closer. She couldn't see their features very well, but it wasn't necessary. She knew who they were; the girl with long inky hair, and the boy with the crimson scarf. Before they could come into full view, they disappeared into nothing as dandelions flew into the wind and took the two figures with them.

Her eyes opened slower this time. Only the sound of urgent knocking from her door greeted her this time. Her door slammed open, and there stood Vanitas in the doorway. "What the hell? Why are you so sweaty?" He asked as he entered. "It's already afternoon. You've been sleeping in way too much recently." 

Vanitas sighed, "So when you sleep in, it's okay? That's fake. These boys are a bunch of punks." His amber eyes locked with Eris' dark blue eyes. "You look pale. God, are you sick or something?" He sounded irritated, but Eris could tell he was worried. "You need to eat something. Just stay here, I'll be back."

The ebony haired boy left suddenly, his footsteps echoing down the stairs. It was only a couple minutes later, he returned to her side. "Just stay put, I brought you breakfast," he said quietly, laying the tray of food down on her lap. "Be glad no one else is here, if they were, I definitely wouldn't be so generous. Be glad this is a good day for me." 

Eris opened her mouth to say something in reply, but nothing would leave her throat. "Your throat's fucked up?" He questioned quietly, brows furrowing. Eris' face twisted into agony, and she nodded. "It's fine. Just drink your water. Stay in bed today, okay?" The boy uncharacteristically offered her a smile a bit more gentle than his signature smirk. "I'll stay with you for now."


	9. 5AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas is a shit caretaker, but he tries his best.

It was a rough afternoon; Eris was unable to speak and was stuck having to have Vanitas worry over her. She had only just finished her breakfast in bed, sitting upright against the bed frame. Vanitas watched her diligently as she shyly fumbled with the empty glass on the tray. After she tapped twice on the rim, she pointed to the tray in her lap. Vanitas realized what she meant as she as she looked back up to him. 

His hands, which were larger than hers in size, clasped the handles under both sides of the rims. "I got it," he whispered as he lifted it off her carefully. "You should stay in bed. You don't need to push yourself." Eris watched dejectedly. She didn't like the idea of everyone having to do everything for her because she didn't feel good, but she felt too fatigued to protest. 

Vanitas walked down the stairs with the tray, careful not to spill anything. The house felt somber without the usual noise. Vanitas dumped the glass and the plate in the sink without a care, taking in the natural light that seeped in through the blinds of the windows. Vanitas turned on his heel and made his way up the stairs. 

He entered Eris' room once more, leaving the door open behind him. Eris motioned that she needed to get up and clean herself, gesturing wildly with her hands as she tried to explain it to him. He nodded, "You're right. You're probably still sweaty from when you woke up."

Eris nodded solemnly, eyes transfixed on Vanitas' form. Vanitas walked to her side and helped her up in a more careful and gentle manner than Eris thought he was capable of. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised as she tilted her head in confusion. "Don't worry about it," he mumbles under his breath, his usually tone edging out. 

Vanitas walked down the hall with his hand resting on her back as they both slowly walked down to the end of the hall in comfortable silence. Eris walked in first, expecting the older boy to let her bathe in peace. However, she noticed him walk in after her casually, as if he wasn't invading on her privacy. She stared at him with the same confused expression as before as he stared back blankly. 

Eris pointed her thumb at him then to the door behind her. "Look," Vanitas scoffed. "Ever since you woke up this morning, you've been pretty weak-looking. You're moving slower and   
with less enthusiasm." He averted his eyes as he continued. "You've only been up for an hour, but you still don't seem any better after filling your stomach."

"If you pass out in the bath, I need to be here. I'm just keeping an eye on your health; I'm not interested in what you look like naked. Trust me, it's not like I haven't seen that shit before." Vanitas said dismissively as he turned the handle to the right, cool water running out out the faucet and into the tub. 

"Plus, the others would definitely kill me if I looked," he joked, smirking as he turned his head as he straightened up. "Especially Kairi."   
He sat on the closed toilet seat, snickering. "She'd be so pissed at me. I bet she just wants to see you naked for herself." 

Eris turned red at the insinuation, glaring at the older boy. Why would he say something like that? What would Kairi have to do with something like that? She questioned in her mind. Snapping out of her thoughts as the laughter from the boy erupted at seeing her face, she fully turned towards him and shyly motioned for him to cover his eyes.

He stared for moment, trying to understand before she tugged at one of the straps of her tank top. "Oh, right," he muttered in compliance, covering his eyes with his eyes. Eris noticed the red blooming on his cheeks while she was making sure he wasn't peeking. "It's fine, I'm not looking. I promise." 

Eris blushed slightly and turned around as to not worry about his view. She rid herself of her clothes one by one, and set them in a stack in the corner close to the door. She stepped into the bathtub slowly, feeling for the water first. "You in?" Vanitas asked, his hands not moving from his eyes. Eris didn't respond, but the sound of the curtains moving, gave him an idea.


	10. Don't Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas deserves a rest, but too bad.

Eris had ended up passing out halfway throughout her bath. Vanitas has only found this out due to the fact he had asked her to tap on the side of the tub every time he asked her to, in order to make sure she was still conscious. He had freaked out when he found out, pushing back the curtains without hesitation. He blushed slightly at the image, but pushed it aside to wrap one arm around her back and the other looped under her legs. Gathering her up and holding her close to his chest as he carried her bridal style back to room with water soaking most of his upper body. 

He lightly kicked open her bedroom door, and entered. He laid her unconscious body down on her bed gently, then shedding of his zipped up leather jacket and the thin band tee shirt underneath. He lifted her up as he held her back and dressed her in his tee. While he knew her body probably needed to breathe, he couldn't quite leave her as she was. Resting her head on the pillows, he exited once more to grab a rag from the bathroom and run water over it. He twisted it twice then folded it as he walked back in the room. 

He placed it on her forehead and sat on the side of the bed. He stared at her while she breathed quietly, her chest rising and falling at its own pace. He laid back, resting his head on Eris' lap. His black hair tickled against the girl's damp legs. He sighed out as he closed his eyes, lulling into a light sleep.

Vanitas felt like he had only slept for a couple minutes, but he was waken suddenly by the sound of a flash. His eyes cracked open slowly, focus adjusting on the boys in front of him. As he heard another snap, his eyes widened. He raised up quickly as he realized what exactly they were doing. He stood and blocked the phone's camera with his hand. "What do you think you're doing?" He growled, his voice low and rough. 

Ventus laughed nervously as he tried to pull his phone away from Vanitas' firm grip. The taller ebony haired teen narrowed his eyes as he pulled the phone away from his younger brother. "Christ, what exactly do you think you're doing?" Vanitas asked, looking through the pictures just taken. "Do you not see how she's dressed? Look, she's sick—she passed out in the bath earlier today and I had to sit her in here, okay? I'm pretty sure she wouldn't pictures of her after like that."

He subsequently deleted the photos taken, and handed the phone back to Ventus. "Anyway, how did it go?" He asked, running a hand through his messy bedhead. 

Sora beamed from behind Ventus, "It went great! We both got the job." 

Roxas nodded as he stood next to Sora, "It definitely went better than I thought it would. I guess since Ven already works there and put in a good word for us?" 

Vanitas smirked. "Figures. It took you all long enough, though. I wondering how long you both would stay jobless bums," He laughed, crossing his arms. "Alright, get out. Let Eris rest up." The boys nodded and quickly scattered. Vanitas lingered behind for a moment, sparing Eris one last glance before quietly closing the door behind him as he left.

"Vanitas," Riku suddenly called from the bottom of the stairs. Vanitas peered down from the railing. "Come down here, I need to update you on our situation." Vanitas knew what that meant; he rushed down the stairs. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, eyebrows creasing. 

"My parents want everyone to come over tomorrow," Riku told him simply. "They want to meet everyone since they're paying for the house. They told me that they figured they'd determine whether or not they'll continue to pay for it, if you all don't seem like a bunch of freeloaders."

"God, I hate your parents but I can't say anything. I owe it to them for letting us live in one of their vacation homes. I don't know what I'd would have done if they hadn't. Definitely wouldn't have had it as good as we have," he rambled, letting out a sharp exhale. "That's fine. I'll go out with the others and buy some shit for them to wear." 

"Buy flowers, too. My parents will probably like that," Riku intercepted, pulling out his wallet. Pulling out a couple hundreds, he pushed them into Vanitas' hand. "Also, I heard what you said about Eris. I'll figure something out tonight. I'll see if my parents will let her off the hook for now or not." Riku's eyes narrowed. "Get this done, and quick. I don't care if you use up all my money, but don't half ass this, okay?"


	11. Will You Stay Here With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ephemera makes a surprise visit.

Eris slowly woke; the room was dark and she could hardly see a thing. She figured she must've passed out during her bath earlier. The light from the moon poured in gently, making her feel more at ease. She hadn't dreamt any this time, which she sighed at. 

She raised up and laid against the headboard. She then noticed her clothing—a thin shirt that was way too big on her. Having one of his favorite bands of the front, she concluded it must have been Vanitas'. She flustered at the thought that he must've dressed her after passing out. It was comfortable though, so maybe she'd just keep it.

A sudden light knock reverberated through the room. Looking to the source, Eris noticed a familiar silver haired boy at the window. "Oh my god," she breathed out in exasperation. Hurrying out of bed and to the window, she unlocked it and let him in. Ephemera crawled in and laughed sheepishly. "What are you doing here? It's already night," she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry," Ephemera chuckled, "I wanted to see you. I heard you got sick so I came over as soon as Skuld let me." 

Eris raised a brow.  "What would Skuld be keeping you for?" 

"She didn't think it would be a good idea for me to come over since it was already so late, but I snuck out anyways," he told her, laughing quietly as he ran a hand through his curly mop.

"So she really didn't let you, you just creeped out when she wasn't looking?" Eris repeated with a light snicker. "That's so like you. I hope she doesn't get too worried when she finds out you're gone." 

Ephemera's eyes softened; she was still sick from what he could tell, but she was happy to see him nonetheless. "She probably won't be," he affirmed. "It's not like I haven't done this before."

Eris nodded and laughed. He was right, she remembered the last couple times he snuck over and Skuld would usually run over and scold him for disappearing all of the sudden. Though, it usually wasn't as late when he came over. 

"Anyway, what did you want to see me for?" Eris asked, brushing back strands of hair behind her ears. 

"I just wanted to see you," he stated bluntly as he removed his slightly oversized red letterman jacket. "I wanted to check if you were alright. Are you stressed out or something?" 

Ephemera gently placed his jacket over Eris' shoulders. "I'm fine, really. Probably just a fever or something," she lied. "It'll go away eventually." She gripped the jacket closer to her. It smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

"I understand how you feel, but if it's physically affecting you, it's probably not good," Ephemera whispered, not breaking eye contact for even a second. "Please, trust me. Chirithy has been telling me about your nightmares." 

"Chirithy told you about those?" She repeated in disbelief. "I don't understand. I told him to not tell anyone else." 

"I told him to tell me in case you started having those nightmares again," he reluctantly told her. His eyes flicked away momentarily. He didn't want to lose her trust. Him, Skuld, and Chirithy were the only ones who actually knew about Eris' real past. She deserved a break from everybody that had happened before. It wasn't fair she had to suffer from the nightmares, even though she didn't remember what happened back then.

Her form stiffened. "I'll tell you, Ephemera," she said suddenly. "But first, would you like to stay over for the night? It's already so late."

Ephemera smiled as the heat rose to his cheeks. "That sounds nice," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to promise to tell me about the nightmares in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered back, giving him a warm smile. "I promise."


	12. Without Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another surprise visitor: Skuld's debut!

The next morning, Eris woke to the sound of a scuffle. Her eyes slowly opened to the sight of Skuld trying to drag Ephemera off the bed. The curly haired boy clung to the sheets in an attempt to resist against Skuld's strength.

"Sorry for waking you, Eris," Skuld apologized as she glance the said girl's way. "Ephemera here really needs to stop sneaking in and out of people's houses!" 

"It's only Eris' house! Plus, I do it all the time!" Ephemera tried to counter. 

"A little warning would be nice before you go and disappear out of nowhere again!" 

Eris stared on at the scene, still only half awake. The two always reminded her of an old married couple, with how they bounce off each other so effortlessly in these kinds of situations.

"Uh," Ventus' voice cut in from the doorway. "Can you guys keep it down?" The blonde rubbed at his eyes as he peeked his head in, cautiously.

"Ventus!" Ephemera exclaimed as he suddenly let go of the sheets and sent both him and Skuld falling backwards. Quickly getting back on his feet, he helped Skuld up and grinned at the boy at the door. "How have you been?"

Ventus sighed, but returned the smile nonetheless. "Would be doing better if I was still asleep right now, but yeah. How about you?" He replied. 

"Doing good! Slept well. Eris' mattress is so comfy. I should just move in here!" He answered, entangling his hand in his curly gray locks.

"Haha, very funny," Ventus heckled. "By the way, you all need to leave soon. We're all going to be heading out soon." 

Skuld raised a brow. "Where are you all going? Is there some occasion?" She asked curiously as she dusted off her clothes. 

"We all have to go over to Riku's parents' house," He answered albeit bitterly. "They're going to evaluate us, seeing if we're eligible to be freeloading off of them, pretty much."

"Aren't his parents filthy rich or something?" Ephemera asked, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed once more. "Figures, though. You all just got jobs just recently. You've had it good so far. It's time to face the average man's struggle."

"You're anything but average, Ephemera," Skuld retorted, not even sparing a glance at the said male.

"Wait," Ephemera interjected once more. "Is Eris going? She can't be. She's sick, you know?" His hands waved wildly as he spoke. His expression twisted in concern.

"She has to, sadly. Riku tried to convince them to either push the date back or let her stay behind, but they rejected both ideas," Ventus explained with a worried sigh. "Nothing we can do except keep an eye on her while we're there."

"We should let them get ready, Ephemera," Skuld told the boy next to her in a soft voice. "Let's head home. You can always come see Eris tomorrow." 

Ephemera turned his head to lock eyes with Eris. "Meet me down at the beach tonight after seeing Riku's parents, okay?" He told her as he stood up and locked arms with Skuld. "Is that okay with you?"

Skuld grinned and rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you're telling me now."

The two went on their way after exchanging goodbyes. Eris hopped out of bed afterwards, exiting her room to go downstairs and make breakfast. Hobbling down the stairs, she realized she felt much better than the other day. 

"Morning, dweeb," Vanitas' muffled gruff voice greets her from his seat in the dining room as he stuffs his face with a chocolate donut. "Looks like you're feeling better, I guess?" 

Eris smiled. He had taken care of her the past two days, so she knew he had to have been worried. "I am. Thanks for looking after me, Vanitas," she replied, gratuitously. 

The ebony hair male grumbled as a light pink settled on his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not into that sappy shit," he told her. "Now I don't have to bust my ass over you now."

It was easy to read Vanitas, as always. He tried to act tough, but he loved feeling important to others and cared a lot about the people he was close to. Eris reached over and ruffled his messy bedhead. It's 

"You could just say "you're welcome", but alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter isn't up to par with the usual and that updating took forever. Been stuck in a bad place for a while and still am, but I wanted to force myself to get some writing done. I'll hopefully update again tomorrow.


End file.
